Canine Skin Rash After Giving Birth

by Amanda
(NH)

I have a french bulldog that just gave birth in December. Everything went great, but now she is having dog skin problems. She has a canine skin rash that's just about all over her body but its the worst on her back and neck. Mostly red bumps but some that look like blood blisters.

She lost alot of hair as well and has been very very itchy. I've taken her to the veterinarian 6 times in the last month and they have given her many different medications; antibiotics (3 different kinds) anti-itch medicine, and I don't even know what else at the moment. There has been so many I can't even remember them all off the top of my head.

They also put her on a prescription hypoallergenic dog food and I have to use this prescription shampoo and conditioner on her twice a week. They tested her for mites a few weeks back and they found one. With the canine skin rash she has they expected to find a ton. She took medications for that and a week later I brought her back, no mites, but still the horrible dog skin rash.

Other than that, they have no answers so far. I'm calling another vet tomorrow to see if he can figure it out and if not then I will be taking her to a dermatologist. But close to $1000 later I am no closer to solving her problem than I was a month ago and i really don't want to have to spend another $1000 to figure it out.

If I need to, I will, but I don't have all this extra money to try all these different meds that aren't working. If anyone could give me any ideas I would greatly appreciate it. I should also mention that other than being insanely itchy she is acting normally. Sometimes she seems miserable from the dog skin itchiness but she still has energy and is still the same loving wonderful dog.

Editor Suggestions - Canine Skin Rash

Dear Amanda,

Sorry to hear about the canine skin rash problem and the difficulty in solving these types of dog skin problems.

Female dogs may shed most their hair during pregnancy and while nursing. It is a normal phenomenon, which can be noted in not all, but some female dogs. This occurs due to endocrinal or hormonal changes that occur in the body.

This is considered a normal phenomenon which is termed “Telogen effluvium” in medical terminology. It is related to endocrinal changes, which occur in the pregnant and/or nursing female dogs. Normally, hairs regrows after some time and interestingly, the coat becomes healthier and dense as compared to before the pregnancy. The exact cause of this phenomenon not known.

Unfortunately, in some cases, it happens that due to certain factors such as the environment, weather, immune status, physical strength and administered drugs or surgery for parturition (labor when giving birth), it causes dog skin conditions to worsen, with the result being symptoms such as itchiness, deeper hair follicular breakage, seborrhea, and dog skin lesions. This indicates an imbalance in hormonal secretions and disturbance in the physiology of your dog's body.

Your dog is probably suffering from same kind of condition related to this problem. It is recommended that you consult a dermatologist, not a regular veterinarian, and discuss the condition in detail. Tests for hormonal level and blood work is needed to confirm that this is the cause of the canine skin rash.

Additionally, secondary complications such as allergies and infections should also be diagnosed for successful treatment.

While your dog is being confirmed for the exact condition and treatment, we can suggest trying natural remedies as a general method of treatment, which will help to keep hormonal secretions within a normal range, thus improving skin and coat health. They can also help to reduce symptoms such as dog skin itch. This is not a cure, but can provide some relief while you are working this out. There are three remedies that can be tried together. These include:

1. Skin and Coat Tonic - supports overall skin and coat health.

2. Allergy Itch Ease - to bring relief for the dog itchy skin condition.

3. Cushex Drops - to help the body keep hormone levels in a normal range.

Please keep us up to date on your struggle with hormonal changes, canine skin rash and dog skin itch problems.